Beyond the Timeline
by Geekgirltori
Summary: First year Minako Arisato has been having strange dreams lately. She sees silhouettes of friends long forgotten. Soon she meets people from a reality that never happened, their roles and personalities changed. However, something inside her remembers them differently. Could it truly be all a dream? AU: The events of Persona 3 never happened. Same characters/different personalities.


_Why am I having these weird dreams lately…? In a strange place...silhouettes around me. Why do they make me feel so warm and welcome? Like...like I've known them for a long time? Why am I holding a gun to my head? And why am I unafraid to pull the trigger…? Whose life is this? It can't be mine...can it?_

* * *

><p>The girl wakes up from a restless night of bizarre dreams. She hears her mother call from downstairs.<p>

"Minako dear! It's time to go to school...you're going to be late!" Minako leaps from her bed, going to her mirror to brush her unkempt hair. She looks as if she hadn't gotten any sleep that night. Quickly grabbing her uniform, she gets dressed and makes her way to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and splashing cold water on her face to wake her up a bit more. Her mother smiles as she hears Minako thumping down the stairs into the kitchen.

"I have some toast and orange juice out for you." Minako's mother tells her. As Minako goes to eat her toast, her mother attends to her little brother sitting in his high chair. Minako finishes her toast and drinks her orange juice. She winces as she tastes it mixed with her toothpaste.  
>"Okay mom, I'm going now." she calls as she slips on her shoes and heads out the door with her backpack.<br>"Alright, sweetie. Your lunch is in your bag. See you when you get home!"  
>"Thanks, mom! Bye!" She shuts the door behind her and starts up the hill.<p>

Minako lived in a nice neighborhood in Japan. She lived in a small house amongst apartments and other homes. As she got further up the hill, she noticed a boy surrounded by twittering girls.  
>"<em>Must be Iori-senpai…"<em> Minako thought. Upon getting closer, she was right. Junpei Iori, of class 3-B. He was two grades above her and a senior. Junpei was the most popular guy in school. All the girls flocked to him and talked about how cute he was. It was clear he didn't truly know how to handle all the attention, but he tried his best to act like he did. However, for some reason, Minako remembered him differently. It must have been her recovering from her dream. Was he in it? She wasn't sure...all she saw were silhouettes. She almost held her breath as she walked past the group of girls, hoping Junpei wouldn't say anything to her. What would he want with a _first-year_ anyway. Keeping her head down, she walked by.

"Iori-senpai, can I walk to school with you?" Minako heard one of the girls ask.  
>"Can I have lunch with you then, Iori-senpai?!" another chirped.<br>"I want to hang out with him after school!"  
>"Can we go to the mall together after school?"<br>"Ladies, _please_! One at a time!" Minako could tell that Junpei was feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed. She clenched her hand into a fist and sighed. She didn't want to get involved, but something in her was telling her she had to…  
>"U-um...I-Iori-senpai?" Her voice sounded like a mouse's; meek and nervous. She looked up and saw Junpei was looking at her. Now that she had his attention, she had to think of what to say <em>now<em>.  
>"Um...my sister said that...she needs to talk to you about a...project for school. And she's waiting at the top of the hill. I can...I can take you to her if you want…"<p>

For a moment, Junpei was silent. He raised an eyebrow, confused.  
>"But I don't-" when his eyes meet Minako's he understands where she's going with this<br>"-OH! Yeah, right! The _project_! I can't believe I forgot. Yeah I'll come with you." He turns his attention to the girls around him and gently pushes through them.  
>"Sorry, ladies. I have to take care of this. I'll get back to you on your offers, okay?" He gives them a wink and they practically turn into puddles in the street. Minako rolls her eyes and starts up the hill.<p>

"Are you coming or not?" she says, clearly annoyed.

Junpei turns to her and rubs the back of his head. The two continue up the hill together, Minako walking several steps ahead of Junpei. Why did she talk to him? Did he expect her to keep a conversation going now? What about those girls...did they hate her? School had just begun a few weeks ago. She hadn't made any friends, but it seemed she made enemies…  
>"Hey." Junpei finally spoke, taking Minako a little off-guard. She turned her head a little so she could see him out of the corner of her eye.<br>"Thanks for getting me out of that jam." he said, walking so he was now astride with her. Minako looked down.  
>"Y-You're welcome...they seemed a little...overzealous."<br>"You're telling me." Junpei replied. Once they reached the top of the hill, he stopped, "I should introduce myself, I'm-"  
>"Junpei Iori, 3rd year, class 3-B. Star of the Gekkoukan Swim Team." Minako took the words out of his mouth. With a blush, she continues, "Everyone knows who you are...you're practically famous."<br>"So...is this the part when you ask if I want to hang out with you after school?" a small smirk spread across Junpei's face.  
>"Why would I do a thing like that?!" Minako seemed shocked. She hid a blush by turning away.<br>"Because I'm so famous and desirable, right?"  
>"I just wanted to help you! That's all!" Minako started walking faster.<br>"But why would a stranger want to help me?" Junpei kept prodding her.  
>"Because I was being nice! You looked like you needed help, so I helped! There's no second meaning to it. It just seemed like the right thing to do, okay? Nothing else!" Minako was nearly shouting. Why was she getting so defensive about this? This wasn't like him to act this way...was it? She didn't even <em>know<em> him, how could she possibly feel that way...it was all too strange…

"Okay, fine!" Junpei put his hands up in defense, "Sorry…"

There was a long, awkward silence as the two kept walking. Minako was now a few feet in front of Junpei and he walked with his hands in his pockets, looking at the ground. As they neared the school, he stopped.  
>"Hey." Junpei looked up at Minako. As much as she wanted to ignore him and keep moving, she stopped, turning to face him.<br>"What…?" there was slight irritation in her voice.  
>"Are you gonna tell me your name? Since you already know mine."<p>

Minako pauses before speaking.  
>"It's Arisato. Minako Arisato." she said.<br>"Okay. Arisato-chan it is." Junpei says as Minako turns to walk away, "Thanks again!"

Minako doesn't respond this time as she walks into the school. Opening her locker and switching into her school shoes, white shoes with blue on the toe and heels, she walks to her class. When she reaches Classroom 1-D, she takes a seat in the back of the classroom by the window. Latching her bag onto the hooks on the side of her desk, she takes out a notebook and rests her head on her hand. Junpei Iori...she knew him….somehow...she knew the boy she had only met today, but differently...


End file.
